UCVM Faculty in the news
Dr. Craig Stephen writes about "Why you should get to know your local veterinarian" in the BC Medical Journal. 
"Our health is inextricably link­ed to our environment through the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. Animals are an integral part of this environment, and our lives are increasingly intertwined with theirs. The recent H1N1 pandemic (swine flu) and an outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 associated with farm animals in BC have highlighted the importance of this close relationship".  Read more  

Congratulations to UCVM's Dr. Jason Anderson.  Anderson has won a Canada Foundation for Innovation grant to purchase a state-of-the-art, high-energy micro CT scanner to visualize the internal anatomy of fossils.  The CFI announced a total of $59,394,902 in new funds to support 262 projects at 40 institutions across Canada.  Read more about Jason's award.  

Watch the evolution of the Clinical Skills Building. Located on the University of Calgary's Spy Hill Campus, the facility is the site of hands-on clinical and diagnostic learning in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Program. Fully funded by the Province of Alberta, the Clinical Skills Building is now open!

 

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Click here to see more events.

Read UCVM's Newsletter. 

Animal and public health challenges of interspecies influenza transmission: the H1N1 Experience
A symposium to review the science of the recent influenza A/H1N1 experience and to understand, in the context of new and existing knowledge, the animal and public health challenges of interspecies transmission of influenza viruses.
September 1 & 2, 2009
Agenda and Registration 

UCVM researcher wins Ingenuity New Faculty Award
Six University of Calgary researchers, including UCVM's Jeroen De Buck, received 2009 Ingenuity New Faculty Awards, half of the total awards offered this year from the Alberta Ingenuity Fund.
Worth $300,000 over three years, these significant awards help provide an excellent start that will contribute to researchers' future successes.  More

Declining caribou populations focus of research for scholorship winner
A new tool for collecting caribou blood may help researchers monitor the health of northern herds, says Pat Curry, a veterinarian and PhD student in the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.  Read the full article 

'The Carbon Footprint of Climate Change Research.'  Ryan Brook

  

UCVM Program takes student to Africa

Eoin will be camping not far from the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area

He will have only just wrapped up his classes and exams, but first year veterinary student Eoin Clancy is about to embark on an adventure.  He won the opportunity to be the first veterinary student to participate in the Faculty of Medicine Bachelor of Health Sciences Tanzania Field School.  This summer he will be helping to develop and evaluate the School as a possible fourth year rotation for UCVM's undergraduate students.
 "He will be looking at the conditions, what kind of support a student would need, determining appropriate learning objectives and other components of a rotation," says Dr. Bonnie Buntain, assistant dean, Government and International Relations.
 "I definitely have an interest in international work," says Clancy. "I grew up in South East Asia, so the developing world is close to my heart.  In the future I hope some component of my practice will be in development work."
Eoin will also take on a research project while in Tanzania involving the indigenous Maasai people.  He will examine how their cultural beliefs impact their own health and the health of their animals.
"Eoin's research project involves Brucellosis, a disease that affects many kinds of animals including the cattle and dogs that live with the Maasai," says Buntain.
Eoin  won't be alone on this adventure.  The team is made up of other undergraduate and post graduate students, veterinarians, social scientists and others.

 

Congratulations to Professors Gord Krebs and Rob McCorkell and Teaching Assistant, Brandie Millen,  UCVM faculty members recognized for their excellent teaching.   Excellent teachers are chosen for their ability to communicate broad and accurate knowledge of the subject matter, as well as for their self-confidence and ability to create enthusiasm among students. Other criteria include success at challenging students, ability to cultivate creative thinking on the part of students, availability for consultation outside of class along with fairness and consistency in grading.

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine researcher Ryan Brook just returned from the Northwest Territories where he - along with Drs. Christoph Muelling and Jason Anderson - took part in a traditional caribou hunt with the Dene people.  The team is working on  the Rangifer Anatomy Project. Learn more about the project and watch the slide show. 
 

Looking into Johne's Disease

This year, thousands of dairy calves will be born in Canada.  As many as half of them could quickly become infected with a devastating disease.  Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis or MAP is the organism that causes Johne's disease in cattle and it costs the Canadian cattle industry between $15 and $90 million dollars a year.
UCVM's Dr. Jeroen De Buck is leading a research team that will investigate the foundations of an important control mechanism; the prevention of new infections in a herd.  More

One Health Research in Action

 

 

UCVM's Dr. Herman Barkema is leading a team of 19 Canadian researchers with a goal to unravel the causes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).   IBD is a debilitating gastrointestinal disease that affects both humans and animals.  Alberta has one of the highest rates of the disease in the world.
Thanks to a recently awarded Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) Team Grant; Dr. Barkema, will lead an investigation involving scientists from the U of C, University of Alberta, University of Toronto and University of Manitoba.
The team will be looking at the interaction between genes, microbes and environmental factors such as pollution and water contamination to see how those factors combine to contribute to the development of IBD. 
"We are looking at humans, because if we understand how this disease happens in one species, we can apply it to others," says Barkema. "IBD exists in many species, including cattle, sheep, dogs and some wildlife and it has devastating health, social and financial impacts."
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is committed to strengthening the connections between human and animal medicine, a concept known as One Health.  Collaborating with the University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine, UCVM will contribute to the health and welfare of animals and humans.

AHFMR Team Grant:
Etiology of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Gene & Environment Interactions

Team Leader:	Barkema, Herman W. (University of Calgary)
Co-Leader:	Fedorak, Richard N. (University of Alberta)
Co-Leader:	Chadee, Kris (University of Calgary)

 

  

Second annual Research Day identifies top investigators   

The second annual Research Day hosted by UCVM involved more than 80 faculty and staff.
Congratulations to the following students.

Top platform awards:
Jaymi Taiani, Graduate student, Dr. Matyas and Dr. Rancourt lab
 "Suspension bioreactors promote embryonic stem cell pluripotency"
Ryan Brook, PDF, Dr. Kutz lab
"The rangifer anatomy project: Lining community and scientific approaches to caribou structure and function"
Sulochana Krishnakumar, Graduate student, Dr. Thundathil lab
"Suitability of animal protein-free semen extender for the cryopreseveration of epididymal sperm from Plains Bison (Bison Bison Bison)"

Top Poster awards:
Pat Curry, Graduate student, Dr. Kutz lab
"Infectious disease in caribou: The blood-on-filter-paper screening tool"
James Nicol, student, Dr. Leguillette lab
"Partitioning of pulmonary resistance in horses"
Dong Hu, Graduate student, Dr. Cross lab
"Assessing the function of specific cell types in the placenta using diphtheria toxin-mediated ablation in transgenic mice"
Sravan Mandadi, PDF, Dr. Whelan lab
 "Adding "spice" to locomotion"
UCVM would like to acknowledge the Office of Research and Graduate Education,  Department of Graduate Science Education, GE Health Care, Bio-Rad, and Olympus for their support of the event.

February 2009 - U of C's Research in Action
"Biomedical engineering has the potential to stimulate Alberta's economy to a level we can't imagine. It could very easily become an alternative economy to oil and gas. More importantly, it is through research in this field that we will make the biggest advances in health-new cures, better treatments for devastating disease and injury, enhanced prevention and diagnosis. This is an opportunity we must capitalize on at any cost.
Dr. Harvey Weingarten, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Calgary

More than 100 researchers from the Schulich School of Engineering and the faculties of science, medicine, veterinary medicine and kinesiology are involved in inventing, developing and commercializing technologies in the health care sector that will help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses. The U of C is also creating a new National Biomedical Engineering Innovation Centre as a catalyst for Alberta's expanding biomedical economy.

Read more about UCVM's Dr. John Matyas

The Calgary Association of Veterinary Students (CAVS) advocates for the needs of students in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the University of Calgary in academic, social, and professional regards.  Check out the CAVS new website!
 

Dr. Alastair Cribb featured in Horse-Canada Magazine
Rural and large-animal veterinarians are disappearing. They aren't simply going "poof" or being abducted by aliens while on country rounds; but their numbers are decreasing and, from the looks of it, won't be on the rise any time soon.
In fact, the problem is not exclusive to rural vets; the veterinary profession overall can't keep up with demand and figures indicate the situation will only worsen - but it is more acutely felt in rural areas.
Read the article
 

Six U of C researchers awarded $2.2 million 
University of Calgary researchers received more than $2 million in infrastructure funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation. The Leaders Opportunity Fund will support four researchers from the Faculty of Science, one from Veterinary Medicine, and one from the Schulich School of Engineering.  More

December 04, 2008
Members of the Class of 2012 presented their final projects in the class Animals, Health and Society.  These projects are educational tools to inform various targetted audiences on how animal health can be promoted or how animals promote human health.  Topics included; calf housing, the use of pets in prisons for rehabilitation purposes and MRSA control in barns.

November 26, 2008
The University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) is proud to announce the first research Chair to be held in the Faculty.  The Simpson Ranch Chair in Beef Health and Wellness is named for John Simpson, a local rancher, business owner and supporter of UCVM.  Read More

November 12, 2008
The University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) is proud to announce its first Professorship. The Jack Manns Professorship in Comparative Endocrinology was presented to Dr. Katherine Wynne-Edwards today.  Read more

October 29, 2008
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine officially announced today that Boehringer Ingelheim Canada has become the naming sponsor for UCVM's mentorship program.  Read more

October 29, 2008
Survey shows - Veterinarians really like their jobs.
Read the AVMA News Release.

October 16, 2008
Dr. Kate Sawford, a graduate student with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is blogging about her research work in Sri Lanka.  Follow her progress as she tries to initiate a new way to monitor emerging diseases.   

September 25, 2008
The American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education has officially granted the status of Provisional Accreditation to the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM).
UCVM has the highest level of accreditation possible at this stage in of the Faculty's development.
More 

September 08, 2008
Watch the U of C, This is Now video featuring Graduate Student Andrea Wasko.  Click on the Students tab and scroll down to Andrea's video.

September 04, 2008
Learn more about the Class of 2012 and UCVM's program at www.CalgarySun.com

September 03, 2008
Calgary, AB - The University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) is proud to launch its innovative undergraduate veterinary program and introduce its inaugural class.
"This is a very exciting day for us," says Dr. Alastair Cribb, dean. "Our faculty have put together an exceptional program to match the quality of the outstanding students who have been accepted."
Thirty-four Alberta students, with excellent academic records and a variety of backgrounds, make up the first class in the U of C Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program. The first class will graduate in 2012, following completion of the unique DVM curriculum.   More

June 13, 2008 - UCVM celebrates graduate student success

The University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) is proud to announce the first Graduate Student to work under a UCVM faculty member has successfully completed her Masters of Science (MSc) degree.  More

May 21, 2008 -  A missing link settles debate over the origin of frogs and salamanders   

The description of an ancient amphibian that millions of years ago swam in quiet pools and caught mayflies on the surrounding land in Texas has set to rest one of the greatest current controversies in vertebrate evolution.  The discovery was made by a research team led by scientists at the University of Calgary. More

April 28, 2008 - Announcing Department Head

Dr. Nigel Caulkett has accepted the Headship of the Department of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences.  Dr. Caulkett has been serving as Interim Head since inception of the Department last year.  He brings a wealth of experience to the position.  He completed his DVM degree in 1989 and his residency in anesthesiology in 1993.  He joined the Faculty of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1994 and served there for twelve years.  He was promoted to Professor in 2002.  In November 2006 he joined our Faculty and has been a key member ever since.   

April 20, 2008 - Congratulations Dr. Ribble!
We are proud to announce our own Dr. Carl Ribble has been recognized by the University with a "U Make a Difference Award". This award is given to those who consistently go above and beyond.  This is a peer based award, and we also want to thank the group who nominated Carl. Congratulations again, and thanks for all you do. 

April 21, 2008 -  Alberta funds groundbreaking research into chronic wasting disease

Calgary-The Alberta Prion Research Institute is funding the largest prion project since its
inception in an effort to learn more about the human health risks associated with chronic
wasting disease (CWD), a disease that is spreading through deer and elk herds across
Saskatchewan and Alberta. Dr. Stefanie Czub of the University of Calgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, is leading the project worth $5 million over five years. Read More

April 11, 2008 -  WCVM's Veterinary Teaching Hospital resumes all clinical services for horses
Based on the results of diagnostic tests, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan has resumed all regular clinical services for equine patients at its Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Read more

April 1, 2008 - Congratulations to the following UCVM faculty who were successful in obtaining NSERC Discovery Grants:
Prasanth Chelikani
Jeroen DeBuck
Renaud Leguillette
Marie-France Roy
Patrick Whelan

April 1, 2008 - Congratulations to Robin Yates for receiving an AHFM Scholar Award 'Functional Intraphagosomal Dynamics in the Macrophage'.

February 21, 2008 - Congratulations to Dr. Ole Nielson, head of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Steering Committee who was named recipient of the Meritorious Service Award by the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association.
This award is presented to a member of the AVMA who has demonstrated outstanding service to the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association.  

UCVM's program has been approved by the Council on Education, representing the Canadian and American Veterinary Medical Associations, and the Province of Alberta.  Read more.

January 25, 2008 - Dr. Herman Barkema accepts position of Department Head, Production Animal Health
 
Since August of 2006 when Dr. Barkema joined the Faculty, he has been working hard to develop relationships in Alberta’s production animal industries as well as those across North America .
“I’m lucky that my position allows me to spend a lot of time out in the country on farms and feedlots,” says Barkema.   “It’s exciting to be doing research with farmers for farmers.”
Dr. Barkema is currently involved with the Alberta Animal Health Strategy, the Canadian Bovine Mastitis Research Network and has just been elected to the Board of the National Mastitis Council.  He has been working to develop relationships with the Alberta Beef Producers, Alberta Milk as well as other industry representatives and looks forward to spending more time with producers in Alberta .  Along with his administrative duties, Dr. Barkema will teach applied epidemiology of infectious diseases and outbreak investigations.   He will be joint appointed in the Faculty of Medicine in the Department of Community Health Sciences and is a member of the Triple I Institute where he will continue building the Crohn’s-Johne’s research team.
“To be part of something that is being built from the ground up is incredible.  To have the support of the community is something really special.”
Congratulations Dr. Herman Barkema!